Jim Kilchermann Jr. shares his experience & expertise of the great outdoors

Beware of hooks when walking pets in public fishing areas

About this blog

By Jim Kilchermann Jr.

Michigan native Jim Kilchermann Jr. is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys sharing and hearing stories about hunting and fishing adventures. Raised in Hubbardston, Mich., Jim gained a vast amount of hunting and fishing expertise from members of the
...

Michigan native Jim Kilchermann Jr. is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys sharing and hearing stories about hunting and fishing adventures. Raised in Hubbardston, Mich., Jim gained a vast amount of hunting and fishing expertise from members of the community who were generous enough to share their outdoor knowledge. He hopes to continue that tradition and encourage future generations to hunt, fish and appreciate the outdoors and all it has to offer.

Recent Posts

By Jim Kilchermann Jr.

June 24, 2013
2:37 a.m.

As I walked across the state park beach I noticed a strange looking object sticking up out of the sand. I stopped and pulled it up and out of the soft sand and there it was, A 6 to 8 inch rubber squid looking fishing lure with several treble hooks protruding from the body. This is a hazard for anyone on the beach, man, woman or child however, it is also very dangerous to pets such as dogs. I have witnessed first hand the tragedy of a dog becoming "hooked" in the foot from a sloppily discarded fishing rig. I have also helped to free a Rapala from a Golden Retriever's mouth after it bit on what it thought to be a shiny toy near the water's edge. Birds and small animals can become entangled in discarded fishing line and can be killed if entangled to severely. Animals such as raccoons and foul such as geese often grab what appears to be a shiny fish or minnow only to be lanced by the hook of a discarded fishing lure. This not only causes tremendous pain to the animal, it can lead to death. This being said, what about the dangers in areas not known to be fishing hot spots? The beach at Grand Haven Mi., like others of its kind, see occasional fishermen. The inherent problem, in these areas,lies from those fishing from the piers and from boats. Lost and improperly discarded hooks and lures wash up on shore in areas that are frequented by non-fishermen. This includes people walking pets along the shore. This is not only a problem along the great lake's shorelines and beaches. This problem is even more prevalent along rivers and park ponds. While fishing along the Grand River in Grand Rapids this spring, I must have counted and picked up no less than 50 discarded hooks from the concrete walking path. Hooks that were carelessly thrown down on the ground could have made their way into an unsuspecting dog's paw. When the dog licked the injured foot, the hook can imbed into the animals mouth and/or tongue.

One point I would like to drive home here is seen in the fact that the fishing lure I found in the middle of a state park beach is what I believe to be a washed up lure. I think it plausible that this lure was washed onto the shore from the action of the lake and was not a dropped or discarded lure on the public beach. These things can be found everywhere. Please use caution when recreating at or near a known fishery. Be observant of your area and help to prevent an avoidable injury. When walking pets, taken care to stop them from munching on things that are in the weeds, brush or out of plain sight in general. Believe me when I tell you removing a hook from a dog's mouth is not an easy task and often results in severely bitten fingers and hands.